Portie MxBk(mixbook) VOl I: Riding High

Beez

I-Glori

Our first tap of the wellspring of musical talent that is Port Antonio takes into the SommersTown area and the yardKore music studio, which while perched on a sloping rise and not occupying a huge space (yet) is making a big noise in music spheres.

Singer I-Glori (right) is eyeing a summer take over with tracks like "Party", while Beez, who left the relative safety of office employment to trod the music path, is increasing rotation for his "girls anthem "Over and Over Again"

The two are committed to consistent high quality musical output and are each looking to spread their sound and influence far and wide over the coming months.

Portie Small Biz: May 31 is "Your Day"

 Plans for a day-long “Small Business Day” have been unveiled by Chamber of Commerce President Daney-Ann Thomas for Friday, May 31 at four separate Port Antonio venues. The day will kick off at the Portland Parish Council Chambers at 10 a.m. with a Chamber of Commerce address presented by President Thomas. 

This is followed by a “Meet the Mayor” session and address for small business operators at 10:15 a.m. A question and answer session for taxi drivers, various hospitality providers, hairdressers, barbers and “corner shops” will follow at 10:30 a.m. At 10:45 a.m. there will be a transport authority update covering new rules, dress code and safety measures. At 11:45, the venue moves to the Chamber of Commerce secretariat at 2 Harbour Street. The intention is for the Chamber of Commerce offices to serve as an information centre for all types of information on the parish. The intention is for this office to take up the slack of the Jamaica Tourist Board and TPDCo offices that have closed in Port Antonio.

 At noon, the venue switches to adjacent Neville Antonio Park where lunch will be available and a variety of demonstrations and addresses are slated. At 12:30 p.m. there will be a mixology demonstration sponsored by Lascelles. MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise) Alliance Chairman Dr. Rosalea Hamilton will be the guest speaker from 1 p.m. addressing such topics as partnership, networking, alliances and affiliates. From 1:30 p.m., the Heart Trust/National Training Agency
will have various skill displays and outline their certification requirements. At 2:15 p.m.there will be various merchandising booth displays in the park. From 3 p.m. there will be an open air concert on the park stage.

An evening venue will be held at the Hotel Tim Bamboo at 5 p.m. with a forum including both the Jamaica Stock Exchange and Chamber of Commerce focusing on investments. Working refreshments will be included and the session will end at 7 p.m. There is no change to participate in the day‟s event and it also presents an excellent opportunity to meet other enterprising business operators from the community. For additional details, call 873-0882 or 378-6542. 
- from the Portland Tribunal

The "Little Square" near the square

Walking through the main square of Port Antonio can be a mixed bag of sights, experiences and interactions.
One of the more pleasant of these involves what can only be described a "three-sided box" (the "fourth" side is of course open to the public) that sits at the base of an ungainly three-storey 
building - overlooking the Square (the original courthouse, now an NCB branch, sits proudly opposite) close to the Parish Library and the mini-Park.

Iturja (pictured above - that's our take on his given name) is part of a multi-member family outfit that has run the little bar for some time.

The unique feature of this place apart from its location, is that it maintains a welcoming yet engaging vibe that's not lost on visitors and locals alike, what with the market beckoning only a few yards to the rear, and all manner of hustle and bustle taking place directly in front - not to mention many heated discussions and debates on a variety of topical issues (Real Madrd vs Barcelona, for instance).

if your business or leisure finds you in the heart of town, stop by for a refresher, and a quick chat. But bring your knowledge A-game.

Portie swimmers seek to "synchronize" competition funds

The Port Antonio Synchronized Swimming Team is seeking sponsorship in exchange for
spectacular synchronized swimming water shows! Synchronized swimming is a hybrid form of
swimming, dance and gymnastics, consisting of swimmers performing a synchronized routine
of elaborate moves in the water, accompanied by music.
 

Visual from recent Synchro Swimming Show, at Goblin Hill

The synchronized swimming team consists of 6 swimmers who are all coached by two time
Russian Olympic Gold medalist, Olga Novokshenova. Beside her Olympic and European
championship gold medals, she has been able to achieve unprecedented accreditation in
synchronized swimming in Jamaica.

Synchronized swimming is a demanding sport and the team undergoes extreme training
intricately designed by the seasoned Russian Olympian.    They dedicate many hours per week
with the long range goal of becoming Jamaica’s own Olympics-worthy synchronized swimming team.

This year the team qualified to represent Jamaica in the CARIFTA Swimming Championship. In
an effort to develop our team’s international experience. The organizers are now gathering funds to
to send the team to the United States regional meet in California, scheduled for May 18‐
20, 2012. Coach Olga had picked this meet as it will expose the team to the strongest
synchronized swimmers in the United States.

Anyone wishing to support the team may contact:


Olga Novokshchenova
olga_swim@yahoo.com
876.889.9253

the team may also be followed on Facebook at Port Antonio Synchro

Smile, Portie (And Behave): Dekal is Watching You

A greater "focus" on the day-to-day activities in Port Antonio is coming soon, as was revealed by wireless info provider Dekal at the Portland Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Dekal’s Alan Fong gave a demo of the planned multi-camera surveillance system that the company proposes to install in the town.

It will operate based on Wi-Fi signals which Dekal, as provider, has developed some expertise in , offering as it does now islandwide coverage.

Inquiry was  made regarding the Police stations – for cameras to be placed there.

The cameras are being put in free of charge, and are set to last for 18 months, the aim being to romote safety and also give  up-todate feedback on road and traffic conditions

Food With A View: Urban Spoon in the Royal Mall

Ever since her childhood days, Nikki Shaw always always loved cooking. She was a fixture in the family kitchen, whipping up dishes to be savoured by all. Fortunately, she also proved to have a flair for business, whether as a manager or as an entrepreneur.

Port Antonio's Royal Mall

Within the imposing walls of the Royal Mall in port Antonio, she has ample opportunity to exercise all her attributes. She manages the property, and is also a "tenant" as proprietor of Urban Spoon, her very own restaurant on the second floor. In the cool airy confines of the eatery, patrons can sit at individual tables or at the bistro counter running along the rear wall. They can also opt for the coveted balcony seats, which look out  onto the entrance to the Errol Flynn Marina, and the bustling town square, as well as upwards towards Titchfield. Of course, if they're really in a hurry, they can have their meal to go. 

Turns out that the culinary space was not her first entry into the business arena. "With a partner, I had started a boutique, which was really a 'crash course' in business," she recalls. Remarkably, both she and the enterprise survived that crash course, and the boutique - in another location  - and restaurant are now operating satisfactorily.

For this, the owner gives copious credit to her staff. "I really have a tremendous team here," she points out. "People who really get that we're trying to offer a higher level of service and they just pitch in and they just jump and give as the situation requires, and that makes a difference."

The interior of Urban Spoon

Of course, the proof is in the eating as they say. Two visits in quick succession - on which we saw repeat customers -  confirmed that the chef knew his way around a savoury piece of meat. The stew pork consumed on our first visit was tender and juicy from start to finish, with just the right proportion of seasoning. On our second visit, we switched to the "house specialty" bar-b-fry chicken, and found that too, to be near perfect, crispy outside, succulent on the inside, with a sweet sauce nicely tempered by hints of ginger, pimento and cinnamon(?). The rice and peas was a little stickier than we'd like on both dys, but markedly better the second day.

Urban Spoon is located in the Royal Mall
opens for breakfast lunch and dinner (will remain until the last customer leaves)
Prices: - US$3-5 for the typical meal (including soda or most soft drinks)

Boston in the News (I): Jerk Swings Home

Having secured a ringing endorsement from newly elected Member of Parliament Dr Linvale Bloomfield, the coastal town of Boston, Portland, will see the return of its jerk festival on Sunday, April 8.

For residents, the news couldn't have come at a better time, with many saying they had given up hope of ever seeing the festival again staged in the popular east Portland community.

"Boston is the official home of jerk and there's no way this community should not have its own jerk festival," said Karen James, a resident of neighbouring Fairy Hill. "Anywhere you go in the world and you see people jerking they will always claim they are from Boston. It is great that Jamaicans will once again be given the opportunity to come and be treated to the finest jerk dishes in the world."

Instant hit

The Boston Jerk Festival began in 2000 and became an instant hit with patrons across Jamaica. However, in 2007, organisers, saying the festival had "outgrown" Boston, moved the event to the Folly Great House in Port Antonio. The event also changed names to become known as The Portland Jerk Festival.

Dr Bloomfield, however, noted that the Boston name was not only synonymous with jerk worldwide, but that a festival "at the home of jerk" was a fitting way for Portlanders to commemorate Jamaica's 50th anniversary celebrations.

"I am very pleased with this initiative and it has my full support," the MP explained.

Coordinator of the event, Stephen Williams, was quick to point out that the Boston festival has nothing to do with the annual Portland Jerk Festival which is held on the first Sunday in July, noting "it's very important that the distinction is made".

"Ours will be the Boston Jerk and Cultural Festival," Williams noted. "We will be assembling some of the finest jerk men in the world and patrons will again have the opportunity to taste the real Boston authentic jerk dishes. If you have never been to Boston then you have never truly tasted jerk."

The festival, he said, will be a day filled with entertainment and great food, including the traditional jerk pork and chicken, roast fish, breadfruit, festival and other delicacies.

Parking facilities, Williams added, will be at Fairy Hill, the Boston playing field, and also at neighbouring Castle.

"We will also have a two-way shuttle bus system for patrons coming in from the Port Antonio route and those coming from the St Thomas side. We have also moved to a bigger venue at the Boston Community Centre," he said.

Safety of patrons

The police, he said, will be on hand to direct traffic, and to ensure the safety of patrons. The entertainment package will include popular reggae artistes George Nooks, Jimmy Riley, Tinga Stewart, Specialist, Harry Toddler, Hero, Contractor, Toya, Foota Hype, Dadda, Junior Mervin, Javaughn Genius, Major Mackerel, Food Kartel, PZ, Leroy Gibbons, Eddie Fitzroy, Carl Dawkins, Foxy Brown and Ruffian.

Section of Boston Jerk Centre

There will also be a cultural village, a kiddies' village and other local acts. Admission is $800 for adults and $400 for children.

The venue is located just a stone's throw from the Boston Jerk Centre, and less than half an hour east of Port Antonio's town centre.

This year, patrons can expect a wide variety of foods, with the addition of conch, mutton, shrimp and lobster, all cooked in traditional authentic jerk sauce. Vegetarian meals will also be available.

Title sponsor for the event is Wisynco. There is a host of associate sponsors, including Tropical Vibes, Downsound Records, Petal's Variety, Bay View Villas, IRIE FM, and North Coast Times.

-From The Gleaner, March 15, 2012

Guilty Pleasures: Portie's New Feel-Good Food Spot

The bustle of Port Antonio's William Street can overwhelm even the most jaded city dweller, as the town's traders, hawkers, hustlers and "schoolers" converge on and scramble to traverse the seemingly always congested artery that runs just opposite the market and ends up outside the United Church.
As one might expect ,those masses (and the few intrepid interlopers) will be looking to the numerous food and fruit stalls and cook shops to provide their sustenance. Thus the great, unrelieved bore of starch, chicken and goat, along with various packaged snacks and the aforementioned fruit.

But in this unlikeliest of settings, something fresh has popped up. Since last August a new eatery (and for most "Porties" even the term eatery is alien) has been open at the upper (church) end of the street. Guilty Pleasures is the brainchild of KellyAnn Goodall Kissoon, who spent time in the US, but out of a strong desire to be near her family, returned home and  after some combination of thought, misgivings and serendipity, opened the business, initially as a take-out only . its since expanded to include sit-down dining, but the guiding principle is the same. "I'm really about serving stuff that I enjoy eating," she explains. "We're not trying to be another cook shop"

So here you will not find the staple rice (and peas), curried chicken (or goat) or other heaping traditional street fare so abundant throughout the town. that is not to say  you won't be filled. The restaurant offers panninis and sandwiches (like that on the right) or pastires (left).

Founder-owner KellyAnn

Thee's also the more traditional cake and ice cream, though the owner says she's considering reducing the number of flavours offered. indeed, though the business has more or less kept afloat the past eight or so months, its not all peaches and cream. Porties are notoriously resistant to new dining options and despite the fairly widespread adoption of pizza (which Guilty Pleasures does not carry), old eating habits die very hard indeed, which can create frustration in the mind of a young, forward-thinking entrepreneur.

Nevertheless, she says she will stick it out for a while longer, and has some guarded plans to make the diner more attractive as well as to increase awareness of its presence. Time will tell if toasted sandwiches and the like will become the norm in this seaside town, but consider Guilty Pleasures a worthwhile vehicle for change.

Jammin on Titchfield Hill, a live music showcase with a distinctly Portie vibe continues on the Titchfield Peninsula of Port Antonio this and every Sunday.

As the organizers say " its a get together at the moment, but we can turn it into Sunsplash if we  feel like it.

Drinks and soup will be on sale, as well as Blue Mountain Coffee (as you might expect)

Ambiance resumes with "Billz"

Sherine Smith, manager, Ambiance Lounge

The Ambiance Lounge, situated atop the Royal mall at the base of Port Antonio's Titchfield Peninsula, will officially "re-present" itself to the entertainment public this Saturday (March 10) via an event approrpiately billed as "Billz". Cover charge will be $100 dollars (or a "billz" in local parlance), and mixed drink coctails will be offered at the special price of......you guessed it! $100.

Newly installed manager Sherine Smith explained that the popular lounge had been closed for some five weeks or so, during which time a number of improvements had been affected, and it was now time to publicly acknowledge the recreated entity.

The Ambiance will now open daily for lunch, but evening operations will be concentrated Wednesdays through Sundays, with an assortment of themes for each night including Latin (Thurs) Open Mic (Friday) and Karaoke (Sunday).

The club's location affords patrons handy views of the town's western harbour and the adjacent Titchfield Hill. 

Glimmers of A Former - and Future Glory

here;s excerpt of a feature on Portland - inclduing highlights of the new ital restaurant Akwaaba Ital, that is published by Caribbean magazine MNI Alive. You can click the link at the end to read the full story.

Gazing out on the azure curve of Port Antonio's East Harbour in the late afternoon has a near hypnotic effect: from the tip of Navy Island, across to the promontory that houses the former Titchfield hotel and the high school of the same name -the harbour wantonly pushes its curvaceous rump into the town proper before curving outward once more towards Folly, where the aspiring but relatively messy urbanization begins to give way to the more traditional rural landscape of lush vegetation, small freeholdings and beachfront villas; the setting sun ripples across the water that laps invitingly just inches from our feet - glimmers of a soon fading glory.




http://www.mnialive.com/caribbean/jamaica/2089-glimmers-of-a-former-and-future-glory-.html

Portie To Get "Curry"

This is all the official info I have thus far for the upcoming Portland Curry Festival - the 5th Annual, in fact.

Venue - Port Antonio High School

Date  - March 25, 2012


But what we can see looks good so far and holds out the promise of an entertaining - and filling  - day, especially if you are one of the many who go for "our brand of curry". I use that term in quotes, because what we here in Jamaica accept as "curry" is merely one form of the spicy melange.

Anyway, mark your calendars for another stellar food/entertainment mix.